Daily Devotion

Peter Kruzan

Psalm 25:5 NIV
⁵ Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

Do you remember a time when the world suddenly began closing in on you? When feelings of fear, confusion, frustration, despair, or possibly even anger, hijacked your mind? Have you tried to make sense of the incomprehensible? At times like these, some collapse and retreat while others lash out like a wounded animal. The Psalms are full of examples of deep heartfelt cries for help and, in the Psalmist’s words, at times I hear my own heart being expressed.

The Psalmist’s request for guidance flows from a need to be taught and directed in truth. One might think that life can be mastered as you age, but my experience has been more of coming to a deeper understanding of my own inadequacy and reliance on God’s shepherding.

Fortunately, God is not discouraged by my growing awareness of my reliance on Him. In fact, Scripture speaks of a profound spiritual intimacy; a depth of relationship that God designed us for, and not a rugged individualism that our culture preaches. From the very beginning, God wanted to walk with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day, sharing a deep and meaningful relationship. It was Satan who wanted to disrupt that connection with doubt and self-reliance, rebellion, and separation. God certainly sees and understands what we do not, and He is waiting expectantly to share with us! Do we believe in God’s character and trust in His promises?

As I call on His name, resting in His power and grace, and listening to His instruction, I find hopelessness losing its grip on me and being replaced with a smile – hope taking root! If you have found this to be true in your life, take time today to share your Hope with others!

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, I praise you for revealing yourself to me. Your character, power, and promises are well documented in your word and your saints bear witness to your wisdom and faithfulness. Guide me today and always because I desperately need your wisdom and presence. Give me the courage to share your Hope with others in need of your Peace. Amen.

Lee Davidson 

Hebrews 10:23  

²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

Becoming a mother at a young age, working a full-time job, and going to school full-time was overwhelming. I was a Christian, but I had fallen out of faith. I had lost hope. I lost hope in family, friends, and life in general. I was uncertain about how life was going to look for my child and me. It felt like I was just existing with no purpose other than being a mother. It wasn’t until my grandmother encouraged me to start reading my Bible again, that I started to remember my salvation as a believer in Christ. I realized that my hope was no more than wishful thinking and I was placing my hope in the world and not in Christ. I quickly shifted my perspective and started living boldly and confidently in my hope in Christ.

Many believers today forget that our hope is in Christ. Although we can’t see it, we can be full of hope. Hope assures us that we can be confident in Christ. One part of this verse that stands out to me are the two words, “hold fast.” To “hold fast” is to resist the pressures of anything that tries to take us away from Him. We should embrace the confidence that we have in Christ. We have hope in Christ because he is faithful and keeps his promises. The other word that intrigued me was “confession.” The King James version translates this word “confession” to “profession.” That means we can help other people have hope by professing the hope we have in God’s promises!

Today I want to encourage you to have hope no matter the circumstance you find yourself in. Trust in God produces obedience, which produces hope, which results in joy and peace, and that is the power of the Holy Spirit. Our future as Christians is full of hope because we believe, have faith, and trust in God’s plan for us! He is our good, good Father and we can rest in assurance of that!

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, we praise you for your steadfast love for us! Lord, I pray that we will remember to hold fast to your promises. I pray that you will fill us with hope and that we will resist anything that tries to take us away from you. We praise you Lord for you are faithful and keep your promises! I pray, Lord, that we will go boldly into the world professing the hope we have in your promises. We pray this all in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Justin Harris

Psalm 119:114

¹¹⁴ You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.

A shield involves an active stance, typically a defense posture in battle. A refuge is a hiding place, somewhere safe. While these two concepts are different, they have one thing in common – they are reminiscent of a loving father. David knew he could run to his Heavenly Father (refuge) and no weapon formed against him shall prosper (shield). That’s who God is and who He’s always been. You can run to Him when in distress or when you feel like the world has turned its back on you. David was a fierce warrior and a king yet even he needed a place of refuge and protection. He needed God just like you do.

God is a firm foundation and we are blessed to call Him Father just as Jesus did. We did nothing to earn His love, yet He gives it freely. He loves us unconditionally – there’s nothing you can do to earn more love and there’s nothing you can do to be loved less. He loves you more than you can fathom. So, how shall we respond? By putting our hope in His word. Whether you are a new Christian or you’ve been doing this faith thing for 30+ years. There is always something new to learn about God and His will. When you don’t understand or you’re going through trials – turn to His word. 

Prayer for the Believer: You are so good and You’re worthy of our praise. Thank you for Your loving arms that protect us and provide refuge. We ask that You renew our minds and place a new longing for Your word within our hearts. 

Prayer for someone who hasn’t accepted Jesus into their heart: Jesus, I know that I cannot do this on my own. I choose You. I give myself to You. Restore me, Jesus. Live in me. Love through me. I receive Your forgiveness and ask You to take Your rightful place in my life as my Savior and Lord. Come reign in my heart, fill me with Your love and Your life, and help me to become a person who is truly loving—a person like You.

Charlotte Harris

Romans 5:3-4

³ Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. 

So let me get this straight. The Apostle Paul wants us to actually be happy about suffering? Well, not exactly. Let’s unpack that. Notice how this verse says “in” and not “because of”. We learn much during times of suffering and that, in turn, makes us stronger. We aren’t content in the suffering, but we know that through the suffering, we will build strength, endurance, and perseverance. Just as a baby learns to walk, the child must fall down. We aren’t happy that the baby fell, but we can hold on to the hope that the baby is getting stronger through each step, and even each fall. 

God will never leave us. Throughout each trial, struggle, temptation, time of darkness, and beyond, He is there. We can reference the Bible in so many ways about this topic, and I think of the story of the three men in the furnace from the book of Daniel. When King Nebuchadnezzar demanded that everyone bow down and worship his god, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused. The king had them bound and thrown into the furnace. Instead of seeing three men burning alive, four men were seen walking around in the fire. Who was that fourth man? It was our Lord. The same one we serve today. He never left them, and He will never leave us.

The perseverance we build in times of suffering will help us to develop a Godly character. You see, suffering is never wasted when we allow ourselves to lean into God during those times. Out of the suffering, I will have a greater hope, a greater faith, and a greater trust in the Lord.

Prayer:  Father God, thank you for standing with me through each fall. I know that you are with me in every trial. You help me to build strength through allowing me to go through difficult times. Thank you for showing me Your glory through it all. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Pastor Bill McKinley 

Romans 15:13

¹³ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. 

Where do you get your hope from? The world? Other people? Politicians? Performers? If we have hope in these fleeting ways, it won’t last long. It will be transitory. As people and society change, then what we have hope in will also change if we follow the world. We want to have hope in something that won’t change, that is steady, that will bring joy and peace. When I struggle with the world around me and my own life, I must remember where my real hope comes from – this is the assurance that what God promises will be. I can look throughout biblical history, but also my history and see where God has continually been faithful; during my mother’s long-term illness, or while moving across the country… the Holy Spirit has lifted me up.

I have found real peace only through knowing God. This is the peace that means not just the absence of conflict, but well-being and fulfillment of having enough in God. You don’t need anything else. I have joy in knowing Jesus surpasses any happiness or experience that anyone can provide. People will let me down, but knowing and trusting in God gives me eternal hope, for He has never let me down. For our God to be the God of hope means I will never be alone. I know when the world weighs on me I can find peace and joy through the Holy Spirit to comfort and sustain me.

Peace is a gift that we have when we are in relationship with God. It is open to all who call on Him. It never leaves, though we run from it too often. So, let’s seek a relationship with God and find real peace, real joy, and ultimately real hope.

Prayer:  Father God, help me to draw closer to you so I can experience the hope that fills me up, the hope that brings joy, and the hope that will bring me real peace in this world that so often denies it. Amen

January 28

Michael Lail

Joshua 24:14-15 NIV

14 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

In verse 14, Joshua is calling up the Israelites to make some radical changes in their lives and put away the gods that their fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt. The Israelites, if they were to serve the Lord, needed to stop serving idols and put their faith in the Lord. 

In verse 15, Joshua tells the listeners they can make up their own minds and worship whatever god they desire. God has always been a God of free will. God has never been One to force people to do right. Even back in the Garden of Eden, God placed the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to give Adam and Eve a choice. From whence comes sin? Is it not my own desires? God plays no role in the tempting process, but it’s our own desires, our own will, that leads to sin.

At the end of the passage, Joshua announces to the Israelite, by promising to serve the Lord himself before he pledges to lead his family. Joshua cannot lead his family in doing what’s right unless he himself is doing what’s right. This important principle reminds of that in order to lead others righteously, we ourselves must be right before God.

How many times do we “act” based on what we are told or see? If you stop and think about it, we all have done this at some point in time. In today’s world of information overload, commercials, news, email, text, images, etc., we seem to take these little things that ultimately affect our life and put them before anything else. Anything that takes first place in our lives, above God, has become an ‘Idol’. These things may not be wrong in themselves, but if it has become all-consuming it can be like an idol. As Joshua says here, we need to rid ourselves of these. We should fear God and serve Him only. God does not want to share the throne of our hearts with anything else.

Go serve the Lord. Put him first in your life and in your home. We can all start with a prayer and see how He will change you and your world.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for all that You have done for us. Thank You that You have loved us with an everlasting love, even when we are lost in our sins. Thank You that You have saved me by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and Savior. I desire to walk in spirit and truth to Your praise and glory. I pray that more people might say, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” We pray in Jesus’ name … Amen.

January 27

Simone Sedillo

Psalm 98:1-3

1 Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have worked salvation for Him. 2 The Lord has made His salvation known and revealed His righteousness to the nations. 3 He has remembered His love and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

This Psalm is a song of joy and triumph, praising God for His deliverance from the enemy and pointing to Jesus’ even greater victory from the cross.

Verse 1 invites us to sing a new song to the Lord, but what does that look like today or this year as we think about new beginnings? What stands out to me about these verses is that they encourage us to remember. Remember specific aspects of God’s character – His strength, love, and sovereignty. For some of us, remembering the goodness of God while we are stressed or overburdened may be tough and require a new or fresh way of approaching worship. It’s helpful to keep in mind that all the Psalms would have been sung, stirring the soul, and staying with people like only music can do. We have opportunity to let God’s word penetrate our minds and stir us much like music can – but we must clear time for Him and allow His Holy Spirit to lead us in drawing closer to Him.  

I tend to be pessimistic, so intentionally remembering each day where I have witnessed God’s love and victories keeps me grounded in His truth and helps me to recognize His power and purpose. Sharing these moments with friends or family members – or when others share with me – brings joy and encouragement to multiple hearts.

What new ways might you remember God’s goodness this year and draw closer to Him? For some, that may be spending time in Scripture and journaling. For others, it may be beginning each day by sitting quietly with Jesus and letting His presence touch all the tender places that need Him before going out into the world. Still for others, it may be remembering the darkness God led them out of and coming alongside someone who desperately needs a new beginning in a life surrendered to Christ. God’s Kingdom is advancing – where and how can you share that joyful and triumphant news?

Prayer: Lord, as we begin this new year, help us daily to remember the beauty of who You are and sing to You a new song – one that brings fresh praise because of time spent with You. Jesus, You have paid for our sins, and we are called to a new life in You…what better experience of new beginnings is there than that? Amen.

January 26

Dylan Earney

Isaiah 48:18-19 NIV

18 If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea.

19 Your descendants would have been like the sand, your children like its numberless grains; their name would never be blotted out nor destroyed from before me.”

The key verse that we have been focusing on these 21 days has been about the glory of new beginnings. We can see how God gives us new beginnings not only with the new year, but in every aspect of our lives. Often times in our human nature, we take for granted what God has promised us and the verse that we have today reminds us of how fulfilling our lives could be if we just slow down, take a minute and pay attention to the new beginnings that God places throughout our lives.

When we think about new beginnings, we often think about a clean slate or starting something brand new. Now this is true in some instances, but new beginnings can also mean stripping something from ourselves or refining ourselves in order for us to walk into something new with God without hindrance, baggage, or limitations. The passage in Isaiah 48:18-19 showed me that harsh reality but promising truth of God’s promises for our lives. In this chapter, God invited the Israelites to return to Him and keep their covenants. He promised scattered Israel that He had not forgotten them and that He would restore them to their covenant blessings and gather them back to their lands of inheritance through the efforts of his servants. When he says in verse 18, “If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea”. It reminds me of all the times, when I was younger, that my dad told me something and now I look back and wish I had listened to him because it would have made my life a whole lot easier.  

God has plans for us to prosper in life and he cares for our well-being. Sometimes we can get it confused and say, “God put something hard for me to overcome in my life and when I overcome it, I can have a fresh start”, when in reality we made it hard for ourselves and delayed our blessings by not listening to God in the first place.

With the new year here, let us keep in mind how we can continue this feeling of starting fresh by being servants of God and our neighbors. Take time to listen to God intently so that we can live in peace with one another and not delay what the Lord has in store for you.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for all the blessings in our lives, seen and unseen. As we begin this new year, help us to be more patient and thoughtful with You and our neighbors.  Allow us to see new beginnings in our friends, family, community, and be intentional when listening to Your word.  As we go through this new year, we pray for Your helpful, healing hand over our friends and families and we lift this up in your Son’s precious name we pray, Amen.

January 25

Jay Krause

Acts 3:19 NIV

19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,

New Beginnings in your life start with this verse. No matter where you are or what your situation, you can turn to God and have your sins wiped away. Repentance is more than the sorrow we feel for the sin that we’ve committed, but more importantly a changing of our hearts and minds and actions. When we turn to Jesus as Lord, we are forgiven and our lives are renewed as we focus on our future with Jesus. 

This repentance is the chance, we as Christians, need to choose right over wrong, ethics over convenience, and maybe most importantly truth over popularity. It’s easy to say that you’ve repented, but we need to actually live right over wrong and put Christ over all. Once you’ve turned to God, you can be an example of how the love of Jesus can impact your life and the lives of those around you.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your forgiveness and the opportunity to wipe away our sins and receive the grace and mercy only You can give. Help us be an example of the forgiveness only You can provide and give us the strength to share Your word with a world that truly needs Your presence. – this we pray in Jesus name, AMEN.

January 24

Jose Esquit

John 3:1-3 NIV

1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” 3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

An example of being born again is the butterfly. It started as a small caterpillar but after getting out of its shell, it spread its wings in the air, different and with a beautiful new shape. The change is total and it is a new creature.

New birth through Jesus is very similar. We arrived as a caterpillar without being anything close to perfect with sin and living for the world. Thanks to Jesus we found salvation and the change that we needed. We abandon our former selves to live our new lives as children of God ready to soar to new heights like a butterfly. No matter how we were in the past or how much money we have, God has a wonderful gift for us. He gives us this gift so that we can live happily and by trusting in him, he gives us a new beginning.

The meeting that the apostle John recounts in his Gospel between Nicodemus and Jesus is one of the most important in the New Testament. This is due to the topic they talked about that night, as it was new birth.

But what is being born again?

When a baby is born, he is born from his parents with human life. Being born again simply means that we are born of God with the life that God gives us.

Today there are also many people who, like Nicodemus, live trying to earn the Kingdom of God through their works. It is important to understand we will never be able to achieve it alone since it requires something that is impossible to do ourselves, that is, to be born of the Holy Spirit.

As it happened with him, we also pray that people who still do not know Jesus can be born of the Spirit and receive a new heart so they can believe in Christ as the only savior, receive eternal life, and get a new beginning.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for giving us the opportunity to be born again. Thank you that even though we don’t deserve it, you give us the gift of having this new life in you. Help us to stay on your path, that we can ignore the temptation, that we don’t fall in sin and we can please you, and so we can have the eternal life you give us. Amen.